


Growing Pains

by pearlydewdrop



Series: Cute, Dorky and a Wee Bit Mental (Collection of Random Derry Girls Stories!) [11]
Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: ...but also, Alternate Universe - College/University, Beginnings, Dorks in Love, Emotional Constipation, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, F/M, Families of Choice, Family, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Girl Power, Growing Up, Hopeful Ending, Incoming Chaos at Airport Security, Leaving Home, Lovable Eejits!, Showing Love in Unconventional Ways, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, everyone's slagging everyone.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26777938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlydewdrop/pseuds/pearlydewdrop
Summary: Growth hurts because change is never easy, that's why they call it growing pains.
Relationships: James Maguire & Michelle Mallon, James Maguire & Orla McCool, James Maguire/Erin Quinn, Michelle Mallon & Orla McCool, Orla McCool & Erin Quinn, The Friendship Between All Five Derry Girls
Series: Cute, Dorky and a Wee Bit Mental (Collection of Random Derry Girls Stories!) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044645
Comments: 11
Kudos: 79





	Growing Pains

**Growing Pains.**

_..._

_Growth hurts because change isn't easy, that's why they call it growing pains._

_~Anon_

_..._

**_1998_ **

Dragging her feet, Erin Quinn eyeballed the squeaking wheels of Orla's Sesame Street suitcase.

She wasn't trying to distract herself... _.she wasn't!_

Belfast Airport should have felt like familiar territory. Ever since James and Clare had first left Northern Ireland for university, it had become a place of ' _see-you-laters',_ affectionate slagging and bone crushing hugs after weeks apart.

Admittedly, this wasn't quite like their previous experiences...Orla was leaving this time and that made all the difference.

After roughly nineteen years of being more or less inseparable, the prospect of not having to complain about her cousin's complete lack of boundaries and blatant disregard for personal space felt downright bizarre... _wrong even!_

Erin couldn't remember a time when her belongings being hoaked through and her diary being read aloud over breakfast hadn't been the norm.

For years she'd been thoughtlessly followed into toilet cubicles, been consistently woken up with a gobful of Orla's hair in her mouth and been strong armed into homemade Easter Frocks and Christmas Jumpers by their mammies who thought the two cousins looked like 'wee dotes' in their matching outfits.

Logically Erin knew that her relationship with Orla was the least likely of all to change. They were cousin's after all, bound together for life—that's what their Granda had always said.

However, one thing was suddenly becoming abundantly clear; scattered across Northern Ireland, Scotland and England as they would be in a matter of days, she and her fellow Derry Girls were growing up.

And feck her, if it didn't feel just a little bit weird!

"Is something the matter?"

Erin felt a soft bump against her shoulder and glanced up to find James watching her with a frown.

Fumbling, she tried her damnedest to dodge his irritatingly well-meaning concern.

"Sure, why would anythin' be the matter?", Erin insisted, huffing out a laugh that was far too high pitched to be genuine. "I'm grand. Totally totally grand. Never better in fact!"

James raised his eyebrows in amusement, clearly not buying the pantomine but not wanting to start an argument either.

"Alright then."

Relenting slightly, she rolled her eyes at the audible smirk in her friend's voice.

Annoyingly, there wasn't much that Erin could hide from James. Always the quietly perceptive one of the gang, he never needed to look in her diary to read her mind...not that Erin had the greatest track record on the _'concealment of one's feelings'_ front to begin with.

"You'll keep an eye on Orla for me?", she asked awkwardly, eyes never faltering once from the back of her cousin's bushy head.

He nodded with a faint smile, seeming to understand the unspoken weight of her request but also knowing she wouldn't want a big deal made of it.

Erin and Orla were exceptionally close, even for first cousins. The two had basically grown up as sisters...but a Derry Girl wasn't going to go about verbally splurging her emotions on familial love anytime soon, especially not in a crowded airport.

"I'm pretty sure that Orla can look after herself", James replied gently. "But I'll be there if she needs me."

In spite of everything, Erin found herself returning his smile. She knew James well enough to know that he meant what he said and she, in turn, was all the more fond of him for his sincerity.

"Just make sure she doesn't try livin' off bonbons or sellin' her organs or some shit like that."

James chuckled, saluting her playfully. "Of course."

Erin nodded in return, letting a tentative swell of relief pass through her.

Their lives may be changing, but the genuine love between the five of them never would. They'd be okay, no matter what happened or where life took them.

Compelled by a sudden surge of awkward bumbling bravery, Erin reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to James's cheek.

Was it out of gratitude? Relief? Or was it simply because she wanted to?

Erin tried to ignore how right it felt when his arms instinctively came around her, or how James looked every bit as flustered as she felt when reality dawned and they hastily disentangled themselves seconds later.

For a friendship usually communicated in wild gesticulations, shoulder squeezes of reassurance and soft lopsided smiles, a brief _(totally friendly!)_ kiss had somehow turned out more lovely than either James or Erin could ever have prepared themselves for.

"Thanks for that", she mumbled, making a valiant attempt to regain her voice's usual lofty tone.

Trading a quick glance ahead of them, Erin checked to make sure both of their cousin's were out of earshot before adding; "And you-uh, you mind yerself too. Stay in one piece for me, yeah?"

James nodded in agreement, green eyes shining and inspiring all sorts of winged creatures ( _not feckin' butterflies though! Abso-feckin'-lutely not! She couldn't be dealin' with those sorts of clichés...not today!)_ to take flight in the pit of her stomach.

"I'll do my best."

For a split second, Erin was almost glad that Orla wouldn't be reading her diary again any time soon... _almost but not quite._

...

Michelle caught sight of Erin and James and scoffed. She couldn't help it. Not when one of her best mates and her wee English cousin were desperately trying not to look at each other, both of them sporting identical dopey grins and flushed faces.

"They actually think they're pullin' the wool over our eyes, don't they? Feckin' eejits..."

Orla threw Michelle a quizzical side eye, detaching a half melted Swizzels Drumstick from her front teeth.

"I love wool...", she replied dreamily, voice muffled through a mouthful of sticky strawberry and vanilla flavoured goo. "...those sheep knit cracker jumpers, Michelle. So talented, they are!"

"You do know I'm talkin' about James and Erin, don't ya?"

"James and Erin don't knit!"

"Christ, Orla. Didn't you come down the Foyle in a bubble?"

"Nah, Mammy said she found me under a head of cabbage."

Rolling her eyes, Michelle couldn't help the faint smile that twitched at the corners of her lips before slinging an arm around her friend.

Orla was the cloud-cuckoo-lander of their group and there was no mistaking it.

In all honesty, she'd miss the little weirdo quite a lot now she was off to England...or at least every bit as much as she already missed Clare—shrill cack attacks, squeaky lectures and all. 

"She did, aye."

Orla smiled thoughtfully, a slight frown coming over her face after a moment's silence. "D'ya think Erin'll be okay without me?"

Shrugging, Michelle considered the question.

While she'd had a hard enough job keeping Erin grounded for the past year with Orla's help, she knew that she'd probably manage on her own. As it turned out, Erin had taken to her English degree at Queen's with the same intensity as Michelle had taken to bartending...with a raging vengeance.

"Not sure, but I'll be around to keep her ego in check..."

Raising her lollipop stick as though for a toast, Orla seemed pleased with her friend's promise.

"Dead on, Michelle."

"...on one condition."

All the possible terms and conditions already rolling out in shining neon lights with a booming official voice in her head, Orla nodded brightly. "Fair enough."

Glancing back in the direction of Erin and James, Michelle discreetly made sure they weren't close enough to overhear.

Sweet Jesus, she'd never been able to live it down if they did!

"Make sure that cousin of mine doesn't go doin' anythin' stupid. God knows what'll happen him when he's back among the English. Bloody savages they are."

Orla grinned lopsidely, leaning her head on Michelle's shoulder and patting one of the many many pockets on her duffel coat. "Ach, don't worry about James. Sure, I've got Granda's hunting knife."

Brows all but disappearing into her hairline, Michelle's eyes glinted wickedly.

She could only imagine James and Orla attempting to explain away a whole fucking dagger to airport security and barely suppressed a cackle. Fleetingly, she wondered if she should say something to Orla or try and tip James off...but decided against it.

"So, that's a deal then?"

Orla nodded fervently, giving Michelle a squeezy sideways hug...as much to say goodbye as it was to seal the deal. "Aye."

"That's the shit I like to hear.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to post this story, and am still not completely happy with it. I'd really love to know what you think. 
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who has been reading my Derry Girls fics so far. You've all been so incredibly kind!! 
> 
> Hope everyone reading this has a lovely week :)


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